DETROIT LIONS NOTES: Team leaders meet, no sense of panic

ALLEN PARK — After two straight losses there may be a sense of panic among Lions’ fans, but the team remains cool, calm, collected and focused on beating the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving.

The team leaders — captains and one or two guys from each position group — met Monday while they ate lunch.

“There’s’ no need to panic, there’s such a quick turn-around,’’ said Dominic Raiola who was at the meeting. “We needed to get moving toward Green Bay so fast and get our minds shifted.’’

They don’t want two losses to send the team spinning downhill.
“It wasn’t like state of the union, like ‘Oh my God no.’ it was just tightening up the screws, not letting it get too loose,’’ Raiola said.

Reggie Bush said immediately after Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay that he thought they needed to call a players-only meeting. He said it only after he was asked if the leadership council needed to take action — it wasn’t volunteered.

Much has been made outside of the locker room that maybe there’s a rift on the team because Matthew Stafford said on Monday he didn’t think a players-only meeting was needed. The quarterback didn’t volunteer the information until he was asked.

Bush, a newcomer to the Lions but in his eighth NFL season, said it in the heat of the moment.

It’s not a huge deal to any of the players.

Bush has more playoff experience than most on the Lions’ roster, but he doesn’t flaunt it. He doesn’t step in where he shouldn’t.

“I’ve only worn my Super Bowl ring the day we received the ring, that’s it I haven’t worn it since,’’ Bush said. “I haven’t worn any of my championship rings from college, I wore them the day I received them and that was it. I like to leave the past in the past. I don’t like to force that on people. I don’t like to walk into a room and say ‘OK, I’ve won championships so you have to listen to me.’’’

That’s not his style.

The message really is simple.

“It’s all it was, what we were talking about the beginning of the year is that we have to stay focused,’’ Nate Burleson said. “If we’re sitting on the boat and it’s rocky, just focus on land we’ll get there. Let’s not focus on the water, we’ll fall in.’’

Flynn works with starters

Indications are stronger that Matt Flynn will be the Packers’ starting quarterback on Thursday at Ford Field.

“We had Matt Flynn take the starter reps today, that’s the way we’re working it right now,’’ coach Mike McCarthy said in a conference call to the Detroit media on Tuesday afternoon.

Aaron Rodgers, who suffered a broken collarbone, did some work at Tuesday’s practice.

“Aaron had a good day as far as the path for him to come back,’’ McCarthy said. “He was able to do some things. He felt good about it after practice. I would say we went from slim to none to closer to none I don’t see it happening.’’

Flynn torched the Lions for 480 yards and six touchdowns in a Packers’ win at Lambeau on Jan. 1, 2012.

Ins and outs

Cornerback Chris Houston, who injured his foot on Sunday, did not practice Tuesday.

Calvin Johnson (knee) was on the field stretching, but didn’t participate. It’s not unusual for him to take a rest day. He’s expected to play Thursday.

Travis Lewis was also missing, but not because of injury. It was due to a personal matter.

Following Sunday’s loss, the Lions had a walk-through on Monday. Tuesday was the only full day of practice in preparation for the Thanksgiving game against the Packers. A walk-through is also scheduled for Wednesday.